Be afraid
OPINION: Your old mate hears some of the recent uptick in farmer confidence has slipped since the political polls started leading a bit to the left, away from the current coalition of National, Act and NZ First.
It turns out she has focused on easing the regulatory burden on gun clubs and licensed firearms owners, removing some reporting requirements for gun clubs, which had been introduced after the Christchurch terror attacks.
These requirements were intended to enhance oversight but had been criticised as adding unnecessary bureaucracy, without improving safety.
Statistics show that gun crime kept rising after then-Minister Stuart Nash's knee-jerk response to the terror attack, penalising responsible gun owners for no gain in safety.
Turns out the bad guys didn't feel like complying with Nashy's rushed set of laws.
McKee is shooting for a more reasonable middle-ground.
